A laboratory technologist performs research in various scientific and medical fields, and can be employed by universities, hospitals, or pharmaceutical companies. While a bachelor’s degree is not always necessary, gaining research experience as an undergraduate is helpful. Specialized laboratory technician careers, such as medical technologists, require a bachelor’s degree in medical technology or life sciences. Career advancement opportunities in this field may be limited.
A laboratory technologist or “lab technician” is someone who performs research in a science laboratory. The term covers a wide variety of scientific and medical fields, and there are many different ways to become a laboratory technologist. Although a bachelor’s degree is not always necessary, in general the best way to become a laboratory technologist is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the area of science most interesting to the individual. Gaining research experience as an undergraduate would be very helpful in gaining a position as a lab technician after college graduation.
A laboratory technologist can be employed in any scientific field that conducts research in a laboratory, from geology to chemistry, genetics or medicine. Some laboratory technologists are employed by universities, others by hospitals or pharmaceutical companies. Laboratory technologists are usually supervised by Ph.D. or MD-level scientists or laboratory managers. They may have a lot of autonomy in their work or may be closely supervised. Laboratory technicians with many years of experience train and supervise others as they learn to become a laboratory technologist.
In general, laboratory technologists employed in universities and industrial facilities are trained on the job. They receive general theoretical and practical knowledge in their degree program, but the practical work they do in their jobs is usually more specialized than what they learned in school. A generalized knowledge of the scientific field they work in and some experience in laboratory research are generally adequate for an entry-level position.
While the term laboratory technologist refers to workers in a wide variety of scientific jobs, some laboratory technician careers are more specialized. For example, a medical technologist is specifically trained to perform diagnostic tests on blood and body fluids in a hospital laboratory. They do not work in academic or industrial research laboratories. A medical technologist is also known as a clinical laboratory technologist.
To become a laboratory technologist in a clinical setting, an individual would need a bachelor’s degree in medical technology or in the life sciences. Clinical laboratory technologists receive much of their training on the job, just like other laboratory technologists. Workers in small labs perform a wide variety of tests, while those in larger labs often specialize. Laboratory technologists can advance to become laboratory managers, but further career advancement opportunities in this field are limited, although this may vary somewhat from field to field.
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